Book Review: ‘Redeeming Love’ by Francine Rivers

Michael Hosea rescues Angel and vows to take care of her for the rest of her life. Angel is a prostitute who expects nothing from men than betrayal and abuse. See, her mother was also a prostitute who entertained men to be able to raise her and living in a brothel she has learned to bury her emotions and become heartless. And yet she meets this young man who wants nothing from her than bringing her out of the brothel.

Every woman’s dream is to be loved unconditionally. I mean, how many times do we see a prostitute getting married and live happily ever after? Well, Francine Rivers revived that hope of being loved in Redeeming Love and with a box of tissues and many pauses to reflect on the pain of Angel relating to my own and the endless love of Michael – being too good to be true – this book turned my insides up and down.

From the book of Hosea in the Bible, Francine Rivers describes the unending and unfathomable love God has for us without being preachy and boring.

Having lived through her mother’s emotional withdrawal and father’s rejection, Angel’s heart was broken from the beginning. From losing her mother, human trafficking to child prostitution, living as a prostitute was the only life she knew. When Michael, came to her rescue with his love and made her his wife, Angel could find herself going back to the only place she knew – licking her wounds. Reading this book brings so many stuffed emotions of how we push back love because we do not think ourselves worthy.

It is so easy to stay in the comfort of our own pain and misery because we don’t know any better and like Angel we do not want to expect any better. Francine Rivers portrays God (according to the book of Hosea in the Bible) as this loving and kind God who wants a relationship with human kind even though we keep viewing Him as this judge with a grovel in His hand just like Angel kept expecting that Michael would leave her or worse, hurt her.

A beautiful and painful story of love that won’t let go – no matter what!